"Dexter" Ratings: Showtime Record For Largest Season Premiere

The third season premiere of Showtime's "Dexter" broke a record for the network Sunday night, jumping 21% from last year.

"Dexter" averaged 1.2 million viewers, the highest-rated premiere of a Showtime drama since at least 2004 (when Nielsen changed the way the network's ratings are tabulated). The second season premiere of "Dexter" was the previous record holder.

The second season debut of "Californication" didn't fare so well, however. The drama's 522,000 take was down 5%.